Shenzhen logistics company operator Gao Xiaoying and her colleagues pay 0.7 yuan (80 HK cents) per minute when making long-distance calls to their clients across the Pearl River Delta every day, but their phone bill could be 85 per cent lower within five years.
Guangdong authorities released a blueprint last week that would eliminate roaming charges for cellphones and make all calls within the Pearl River Delta region local calls, state media reported yesterday.
The integration scheme would also merge infrastructure, industrial strategy, public services, city planning and environmental protection in the region's nine cities before 2020. The integration of telecommunications networks and service is just one of the 150 projects listed in the province's blueprint, which would cost about 1.97 trillion yuan over the next decade. The nine cities - including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Foshan - make up about 10 per cent of China's total economy.
Hong Kong and Macau are not included in the blueprint, which the State Council endorsed last year. To benefit from the integration, experts said the two special administrative regions should become more actively involved in the region's infrastructure and industrial development.
According to the blueprint, 29 rail or light rail lines totalling 5,000 kilometres will be constructed, cutting travel times within the nine cities to a maximum of one hour. The prices for petrol, electricity, telecommunication services and other public necessities in those cities would also become unified.
The integration will also include public transport, education, health care, social protection, housing, environmental protection and industrial upgrades.